F-22 tail number 09-0174 “Maloney’s Pony” is the first of its type to go into combat when it lead a flight of Raptors into Syria in 2014.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Teresa Cleveland
The Maloney’s Pony artwork was painted on the F-22 in honor of Maj. Thomas E. Maloney, the 27th Fighter Squadron’s highest scoring Ace of World War II.
Maloney had survived a crash-landing behind enemy lines in France, injured after stepping on a mine and crawl for 10 days before he was rescued. To honor him, the 27th Fighter Squadron has always named one of its aircraft as “Maloney’s Pony.”
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